Montreal. U.N. puts Canada on human rights watchlist over Bill 78. Summer schedule: “The next large Quebec protest has been called for June 22…. Casseroles Night in Canada will [also] take place on Friday, June 22.” “The pillow fight ended with the smashing of a pinata of Quebec Premier Jean Charest. Inside were brown envelopes containing chocolate prizes, along with sheets of paper describing corruption allegations against the Charest government.” Red square: “[T]he phrase is Carrément dans le rouge, meaning ‘squarely in debt.’ That’s why hundreds of thousands… have taken to pinning little red squares of cloth to their clothes. But the red square has a history. It started in the Quebecois workers’ movement over a decade ago and was taken up by the militant wing of the student power movement.” Corruption: “I never cared about roadwork until I moved to Montreal; now every pylon screams ‘mafia’. Sickening – and in full view. Charest and Tremblay don’t realize/care just how much it damages the body politic when ‘ordinary people’ are nailed for the tiniest infraction yet other people can do exactly what they want, often with public money. It’s taken centuries to develop the concept of a ‘neutral state’ that allows some countries to have a public life where people willingly share their resources instead of hoarding them for family protection/bribes. Just incredible.” Silent majority: “Because our premier is in the middle of a fear campaign. He’s cultivating it. He couldn’t be cultivating it more. In his view, and this is what’s interesting, everything appears radical. He’s like an extreme-centre politician, an old man who thinks the music is always too loud. Everything is radical. The PQ are extremists, the CAQ is a waiting room for sovereignty, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois is a 130-pound Taliban, the casseroles are a threat to the government, the red square is a diabolical symbol of intimidation and violence.” Polling: “For the political pollster, Jean-Marc Léger, this left-right split was revealed in the federal election of May 2011. At that moment, ‘the left-right split took the upper hand.’ He noted that at that moment, 43% of Quebeckers had voted NDP. ‘That’s a higher percentage than René Lévesque got in1976!’ The separatist-federalist debate hasn’t totally disappeared, but ‘the left-right split got added and is more and more dominant,’ he notes.” Polling: “Averaging out the take from pollsters, politics blog ThreeHundredEight put Charest’s Liberals at 32.5 per cent support, a slim 0.4 per cent over the opposition Parti Quebecois. While the lead is razor thin, far too narrow an advantage on which to gamble a call for election, it shatters the narrative of the suffering Liberals.” Montreal landlord forbids his tenants from banging pots from their balconies.” (Un propriétaire montréalais interdit depuis deux semaines à ses locataires de jouer de la casserole sur leur balcon.) “As we cleared out, the crowd chanted, ‘On reste calme! On reste calme!‘ (‘We’re staying calm. We’re staying calm.’ In Quebecois French, public language often takes the indicative rather than the imperative mood. So rather than ‘Don’t litter!’ signs will frequently say, ‘I put my garbage in the trash can.’ This tendency sometimes transfers to our marching chants.)”

FL. You’re gonna have to learn your clichés. Tampa police spokeswoman: “Anarchy is a tactic, versus a group. It is used by different groups.” No no, it’s black bloc that’s a tactic, not a group! [snort, and meta-snort] Corruption: “[Connected Nation] won the contract to map the gaps in broadband Internet use in FL [and] got state lawmakers to remove the agency in charge [Department of Management Services] and to expand its own role.”

MA. “All in all, we are seeing how they make the sausage. For the mouth breathers that want to shrink government, so they can drown it in a bathtub, details are unrewarding. For those of us that feel government is our imperfect approach to propelling all of us forward, together; seeing the beautiful imperfections is compelling.”

PA. Privatization: “The Green Party of Philadelphia has taken a firm stand against privatizing of Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW). … PGW is the largest municipally-owned gas utility in the U.S.”

TX. “Today at [Paul Kubosh]’s offices on Lubbock, the issue regarded feeding the homeless, and whether or not it’s our God-given right as citizens of these United States to give a homeless person some ‘bread and a packet of bologna.’ In April, [Houston] outlawed bequeathing a meal upon a homeless person without permission of the property owner.”

63 comments

Thanks to strong encouragement (to say nothing of naked intimidation) by the European and international ruling elite, the pro-bailout, pro-homelessness, anti-worker New Democracy has narrowly defeated the anti-bailout, anti-homelessness, and pro-worker radical left SYRIZA.

Cheered by the near certainty that an ND victory means increased homelessness, unemployment and overall misery in Greece, US futures and European markets rallied with the German DAX up 1.3% up while the CAC in Paris was 1.1% higher.

However, the rally was short-lived as attention turned to Spain, and positive sentiment eroded amid rumors of decreasing homelessness, unemployment and disturbing signs that the Spanish people’s misery index was slightly lower than yesterday.

I think the wealthy in Europe and North America now know that they can push the populace into serfdom. People might get upset and yell a bit in the streets, but elections will serve as a tool to legitimize austerity and other neoliberal policies. Imagine protesting Scott Walker in Wisconsin now. He – and most of the people of Wisconsin – would dismiss you as a sore loser.

Elections are a poisoned chalice. Successful social movements do not rally ’round the lesser-evil. In Bolivia, people protested the previous neoliberal governments, and now they protest the current socialist government. Social movements make moral demands – to breathe clean air, drink clean water, protect the integrity of their culture and their land, guard the earth against the ravages of modern industrial capitalism, and insure that economic development is socially inclusive.

Yanis Varoufakis’ brief tantrum about MSM’s obsession with twisting the reality. Finally. His message to the BBC and other hysterical outlets (above, very brief) was that there is no either/or in the Greek vote. None of them wants to leave the EU. But austerity itself is the cause of the current financial dysfunction. So the Greeks know this and altho they voted ND they still are demanding a renegotiation of austerity. They want want to go back to the bargaining table and figure out the right way to do it.

As opposed to the pushers of global financial disorganization who seek an entirely new form of freedom: Freedom from national laws and regulations; from politics itself, except for one small exception (in the fine print) – global finance, run by global corporations, wants all nations to deliver last-resort reimbursement for the bank’s own failures, frauds, ponzis, and other misfortunes. The banks want the taxpayers to bail them out perpetually. And clearly, they believe austerity is the way to do this.

In order for global corporate bankers to achieve this new freedom, all political bargaining must be minimized, sidelined, and killed. So in fact it really is either/or for the bankers. Not for Greece.

How much longer before the “FEMA Camp” International “Contractors” swing into action in the Hot Club Med Bloc? Hasn’t the “EU” already bought “airport security product” from Chertoff’s Monopoly on “approved” TSA Xray machines” to advance the Georgia Guidestone Global Agenda respecting Nature?

It’s VERY easy to get comments removed on BBC. They’re very testy. I’ve had a comment or two removed before. Here’s what I wrote:

@ NausikaDalazBlindaz

I don’t think its relevant to comment on Mr. Idema’s sexual preferences, but I think that it’s adamantly clear that he was likely a pathological liar who we can confirm killed at least one person due to his lying and, at worst, probably spread his BS — in very tangible, viral form — to other victims who he had casual relations with. A walking time-bomb, I’d call him. And, frankly, I think this is relevant to Curtis’ exposition.

Frankly, I think that the guy I was responding to was more ‘offensive’ in that he seemed to attribute certain personality traits to Idema due to his sexual preferences. But hey, what do I know — I’m not a BBC moderator!

And Pilkington’s second e-mail on this topic:

Just noticed they removed my first comment too. Yeah, Idema died from AIDs. I posted a link to his girlfriend’s blog where she says that Idema knowingly gave her AIDs which he contracted from engaging in homosexual encounters. Scandalous, the BBC must think. But if the British Broadcasting Corporation feels that it must cover up the fact that a torturer killed at least one person by knowingly spreading AIDs, that’s fine with me.

I knew Idema way back when, he once threatened to knock me out (which is really just kind of how he says hello; my coworker, him he threatened to scoop out his eyes and skullfuck him.) For a lunatic he’s a straight arrow. He doesn’t willingly boof guys. His cherished mongolian shepherd pup, I could see that, maybe (he trained it to knock a sidearm out of your hand) – but not guys, I don’t buy it. As for the AIDS, let’s not forget Keith’s sojourn in an Afghan prison. He was always a rambunctious inmate, even here at home, and getting reamed is a fairly routine sanction in and out of the correctional milieu, as anal-receptive sex has hierarchial symbolism in Afghan culture. But why would the BBC care either way?

I doubt what Curtis has to say when he gets elementary facts wrong. “Britain’s colonial independence struggles in places like Malaya in the 1950s” won’t do.

An attempted takeover of Malaya by a communist group consisting overwhelmingly of members of the Chinese minority was defeated. Malaya later was made independent as Malaysia with power in the hands of the Malay majority.

That was no mere “independence struggle” and it’s silly to paint it as one. His decision to do so is very odd because what actually happened could be looked upon as support for his scepticism about counter-insurgency, since you’d expect that it would be easier to beat an insurgency pursued by members of an ethnic minority than one pursued by an ethnic majority.

I also don’t oppose all trade deals. I voted for two of them because they have the worker and environmental agreements I believe in. Some of you disagreed with me on this but I did what I thought was right.
I see now. “Agreements” does not equal “protections”.

“The twentieth century has been characterized by three developments of great political importance: the growth of democracy, the growth of corporate power, and the growth of corporate propaganda as a means of protecting corporate power against democracy” – Alex Carey

You know I actually admire Gary Johnson(as opposed to hack Ron Paul.) While I disagree with him over regulatory structure I can appreciate that the guy is consistent. He is pro choice, and disagrees with allowing government to limit who marriage belongs to which is completely consistent with the hands off approach that libertarians espouse. At least with him you wouldn’t have to worry that he’d tread all over your right to your own belief set.

The UVA story is interesting. It seems like another case of a bunch of officials insisting they know better than the public at large and making decisions behind closed doors. Why am I not surprised that one of the people was a Mark Warner(D) business partner?

University Presidents just don’t get to spend 2+ years on internal affairs any more. They have to stick their necks out into the (primarily business) community to generate all kinds of flashy synergistic partnerships that enables the local narcissists and wealthy alumni hangers-on to stroke their reputations while convincing the not too probing to open their wallets because that’s what the not too probing find impressive.

They pay academic and business administrators to actually manage the university. The President is there to fluff the board and the donors. That the Board has nothing concrete to point to just underlines the fact that it just threw a self serving hissy fit.

But it can’t say that in public, especially when everyone is busy wondering if higher education really serves the students and why does it cost so much?

Re: cat counting: I believe it. My previous cat was like that with his treats. If I didn’t give him the right amount he knew he was being shorted. But I am not really surprised: animals that need to keep track of offspring, others in a group, etc., need some level of quantity tracking. I guess there was some surprise about the bears because they are more solitary than even cats, and so don’t have complicated social groupings to remember.

At the minimum all animals count using a binary system – I have food (on) and I dont have food (off).

They count but they are not necessarily aware that they are counting – that’s the essence of Zen. They don’t shout, look mom, I am counting. They just fo it. They lose themselves in whatever they are doing at the moment.

All mammals have the ability to count. Mothers, and fathers, are able to count the babies in their litters in order to make sure none of them are missing. I’ve seen this behavior from dogs and cats, and I’ve seen this behavior from a dog worrying over a litter of kittens. I’m sure its not limited to them. They also understand human language, they just ignore most of it because 99% of what we say is worthless to them.

He thinks they are tasty and the vitamin makers have tried to make them appetizing. But he won’t eat all cat vitamins, I ran short of the kind I usually feed him and tried getting another brand at a pet food store, and he refused to eat them.

He’s pretty omnivorous for a cat. He likes asparagus, broccoli, and even weirder, artichokes.

The recall vote in Wisconsin produced another significant 7% discrepancy between the unadjusted exit poll and the so-called “recorded vote.” In actual social science, this level of discrepancy, with the results being so far outside the expected margin of error would not be accepted.

people need to believe the vote is rigged… that will de-legitimize the system(congress-iron triangle) even further-of course, the obvious hazard is a military govt… at the behest of the fortune 100… ‘it doesn’t matter who wins the election-it matters who counts the votes’ paraphrase of everyone’s favorite uncle

The most dangerous myth is the myth about how banks make loans; the biggest myth is that private debt doesn’t matter. All at the heart of Krugmanomics.

(MMT will remind us that these loan “deposits” are only bank IOU’s until they’re cleared by means of reserves. Not much of a constraint, as giant banks approach monopoly, handling both sides of a transaction. And swaps, whereby banks leverage each others’ liquidity.)

Service-backed money would allow money creation without borrowing or lending. Example: a subway token, backed by the obligation of the issuer to provide a service. Used beyond the subway as a general means of exchange. http://sbdm.org .

Assuming some bridges in Greece have toll barriers, Greece could call those bridge tickets Drachma. But Greek banks could not issue “debt drachma” or “inside drachma,” as these would not be accepted at the bridges. The drachma would co-exist with the Euro, and enable Greeks to do for Greeks. Productive for each other through the specialization of labor, rather than sidelined as uncompetitive in global/euro terms.

Randall Wray. Great post. As organic as a poem. The Efficiency Fairy and Inflation Goblins. NEP. I think I agree with the guy who thinks we are already practicing MMT but we are too puritanical to admit it. Funny. And where is the problem exactly? Why, it is In the mind of the undertaker. In German unternehmen is to contract. To undertake, or take on. Anyway I like the image of Mitt as our double-entendre Great Undertaker. That hideous image couldn’t be glued to a nicer zombie.

And Randall Wray gave me a great new turn-around idea for Mitt and his zombie friends: They can go all Eco with this plan: They can make all of our salt marshes more efficient by limiting the variety of organisms working in them! I mean there are trillions of organisms that are just useless and each one that is eliminated can translate over time and compound interest to one dollar each. God what a fortune. I think I just wet my pants.

“By contrast, the university professor—say, Hyman Minsky—has never met a payroll. ”

This is true. It is the job of the professor’s administrative assistant to stay on top of the group’s budget and try to keep the research associates from overspending the accounts. She’s the only one really worried about the money. (And in actuality, hustling for research funds is a big part of the professor’s job.)

LS re Quebec – “every pylon screams mafia” – BIG “Italian community” in Montreal; see at http://www.salon.com the reviews of books telling the evolution of the “mafia” from Risorgimento “Kingdom of the Two Sicilies” unto now.

LS: Jesse Ventura: “we torture people, and I’m ashamed of that” — Xref piece on Noam Chomsky’s weeping when his heart-mind grieved over what “We” had accomplished through Premier Kissoff in Laos. WE are ashamed to be “Americans” in the same breath. Refer to this qual-ity of shame and grief over being a complicity through “what we have left undone” as citizens under the regime of dark Agents of a “nation.”

On Taibbi. Why is The Emperor Has No Clothes such a salient metaphor? Because there are still a few great BS callers like Yves and Taibbi and all the various contributors to NC. And one Senator, Merkley, from Oregon. How can there be only one senator asking coherent questions? A new metaphor needs to be The Congress Has No Clothes.

Coming up on CNBC…ex-FDIC CHAIR SHEILA BAIRD CALLING FOR THE BREAKUP OF THE INSOLVENT BIG BANKS. Ms. Baird is calling the “Too big to manage.” I knew that was coming when I heard that at the Jamie Dimon hearing.

I normally like Curtis and his work. Crediting the US for counterinsurgency is sraight BS. The brits invented and continue to use this “strategy”. You don’t build history’s largest empire without it.

Dating it, “all the way back” to the 1950’s is a huge laugh. England was practicing this strategy in the 16 and 1700’s. Then throw a frenchman in there, and blame it on him. Oh to have the crown standing behind me….BBC and me.

Thanks that is a good tip. Tuitions of $23,000 for massage training I don’t know, but that seems to be on the extreme end of the spectrum. But requirements for massage hours and tuitions have been going up for some time in many states steadily. I wonder if this really produces better therapists or just more profit for schools.